Intrusion Prevention System (IPS)
A network security tool that monitors traffic for malicious activity and automatically takes action to block it in real time.
An intrusion prevention system (IPS) is a network security tool that monitors traffic in real time for known attack patterns or suspicious behavior and automatically takes action to block it, such as dropping the malicious packets or resetting the connection. It sits directly in the flow of network traffic so it can intervene immediately.
An IPS is closely related to an intrusion detection system (IDS), but where an IDS only alerts security staff to a potential threat, an IPS can act on its own to stop it. This automatic response makes an IPS faster at stopping known attacks, though it requires careful tuning to avoid blocking legitimate traffic.